I don't think it is carved in stone anywhere. It would be up to the person or group sponsoring the fest. Regardless of what time it is held someone will be left out and not be able to attend. I would only ask you to consider why most retail stores have the hours they do. I would think they open at a time when the majority of their customers would be able to shop. I have set up at several hamfests and I can tell you it is labor intensive. I usually set up the evening before and work at least up till 10 or 11 at night. Then it is up at 5 or 6 to get ready and be behind the table by 7 or 8. Then after it is over you have to pack up and make the drive back which can be many miles. The Dayton Fest is a killer for me and many others.

I good idea why most retailers open when they do in addition to "...they open at a time when the majority of their customers would be able to shop." Publicity -- "We're now open 24/7."; Peer Pressure -- "Joe down the street is open from X to Y, so I have to."; and the urge to snare every possible customer, regardless of the cost of doing so.

Through my Graduate School, I worked with a couple in their mid-thirties who had a retail outlet that barely breaking even. After reviewing the pattern of their sales versus the time of day, I persuaded them to cut their store hours about 45 percent. Sure, their sales fell, about 20 percent. But now, the business is profitable; they're saving on salary for hired help, insurance, security and utilities!

My thought, exactly! I've never gone to a hamfest for that reason. I even go to the Saturday Church service so that I can sleep in on Sunday, I'm SURE not about to get up to go to a hamfest that early. A man's got to recognize his priorities!Tom

After working in swapfests for almost 40 years now, I have heard all these complaints many times. I even worked to help accommodate some of the complaints. Guess what...They found something else to complain about.

If you really wanted to go, you adjust your schedule for 1 day a year. If you can't adjust, then you just use it as an excuse and whine about it to feel good. If a swapfest needs to accommodate you to show up, then your life is "carved in stone". Flexability in life is done by those who choose to do it.

If you don't want to go, just say so. Whining and complaining means you just want attention, not a solution.

BTW...I have worked all 3 shifts in my career. Never had a problem. Flexability is what I choose. It's not like the swapfest schedule showed up on Friday and the swapfest is Sunday.

I visited a couple hamfests in the UK last winter, and they seem to favor 10 AM to 3 PM on SundaysI was one of three founders and operators of Hosstraders in New England, for 34 years, and we always did the Saturday, bright and early thing, until popular demand called for a Friday 9 AM through Saturday afternoon (continuous!) schedule. It's what people wanted. Sure, there were always a few complaints from the late sleepers who wanted something else, but the majority seemed to want to get up in the wee small hours and arrive when the birds were still wiping the sleep from their eyes. Part of the early to rise syndrome seems to stem from the desire to get there first and scoop all the early bargains. Having seen how the Brits do it, and being a bit older, I must admit that I like a leisurely breakfast first, and then a daylight ride.The simple solution is.... if you don't like how the other fellows are running their hamfest.. organize your own, make your own rules and see if it works. In a third century of running our hamfest, it always seemed that there was no shortage of people who want to tell you how to do it. Good luck!73 de Norm W1ITT

One reason is many of the venues require hours to clean-up after the event is over, and even when the "official ending time" occurs, all the vendors and many buyers are still on site. It can take 30-60 mins for all the visitors to finally leave, and then the vendors can start packing up and clearing out. And after all that, whoever owns the site often wants to clean it of all litter.

All that can take 3-4 hours. If the event lasted until 6 PM, many wouldn't get to leave until 9 or 10 PM, and part of the clean-up might be after dark.

I think the feeling of most vendors (sellers) is, "If somebody can't show up at 6 or 7 AM, they're not that interested and I really don't care."

Too, how many hamfests does one attend over the course of a year, such that planned 6 or 7 AM arrival times are this huge impact on his quality of life? They're usually on Saturdays, so an early start means an earlier back home time to enjoy the rest of your day with your family.

Nobody is telling you to get there at the crack of dawn, either.....you can get there whenever you want. In reality, the complainers just want to be part of the best deals at 9 or 10 AM.

Interesting how the author also started another thread about using $35 in gas travelling to/from a hamfest as a metric about whether or not the effort was worth it. So, $35 max for gas, and a 10 AM start....what's next, limiting the prices for the SOS, doughnuts, or fried pork tenderloins? Whine, whine, whine.

....Part of the early to rise syndrome seems to stem from the desire to get there first and scoop all the early bargains..... The simple solution is.... if you don't like how the other fellows are running their hamfest.. organize your own, make your own rules and see if it works. In a third century of running our hamfest, it always seemed that there was no shortage of people who want to tell you how to do it. Good luck!73 de Norm W1ITT

Amen, Norm. Too, the same people who complain about 6 or 7 AM for deals will also complain about price inflation on eBay, which is 24/7/365.

Meeting up with friends, attending forums, talking with (not talking down to) your ARRL regional rep....well, that goes all morning and into the early afternoon.

Seems like all too many hamfests here in the states start early--and end early. Heck, one I went to I found quite by accident--at noontime on a Saturday. When I went to get a ticket, they let me in for free because they were already packing up! One guy said they had opened at 6 AM. Go figure!

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